Target apparatus



5 Sheets-sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. L. MGCULLOUGH.

TARGET APPARATUS.

f AN, INVENTOR.

Attorney.

(No ModeL) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. L. MGCULLOUGH.

TARGET APPARATUS.

110.561,124. Patented June 2, 1896;

WITNESSES; WX/M (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Jl L. MGCULLOUGH. TARGET APPARATUS.

No. 561,124. l1 A1AA1AC111u11@ z, 1896.

'Fl E-IE.

' W ITNESSESI Tf1/GMM Attorney.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. LpM'cLLOUGH.b f

TARGET APPARATUS.

No. 561,124-. Patentedgunez, 1896.

N i x 5 m' um LT. N Y I ,Q ma 3g .y y E INVENTORI WITNES'SES;

0p@ Y I Attorney."

5 Sheets- Sheet 5.

(No Model.) n

' J.` L.`McCULLOUGH.

TARGET APPARATUS.

No. 561,124. PatentedJ'une 2, 1896.

l ANDREW E GRAHAM.PHOTO-IIMQWASHINGVOMDQ Y v UNITED STATES 'PATENT Prien.

JOHN L. MCOULLOUGH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TARGET APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,124, dated June 2, 1896.

Application tiled March 1S, 1896.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. MoCULLoUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in lTarget Apparatuses, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for amusement combined with instruction; and it consists in a device whereby a marksman may practice at a target with a gun without any danger tohimself or to others from the ignition of explosives or from missiles.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an embodiment of the invention, and the latter will be best understood from the said drawings and the accompanying description.

Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the target device or apparatus as a whole on a small scale, and Fig. l is a plan of the slotted top of the stand or counter where the gun is mounted. Fig. 2 is a detached View of the ball-and-socket support of the gun on a large scale. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the circuit-closing tip, showing the latter detached. Fig. 4 is a face View of the .terminal disk, and Fig. 5 is a diametrical section of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation of the gun. Fig. Ga is a plan of the same, and Fig. 6b is a view of the rocker detached. Fig. '7 is a face view of the preferred form of targets, and Fig. 7 a is a vertical mid-section thereof. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing the means for raising and lowering the gun. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section in the plane of the line nos@ in Fig. 8.

I will first describe the general construction and operation of the apparatus as seen in Fig. l. This iigure represents a target-board having on it several forms of targets, a stand or counter, and a gun mounted or supported on a universal joint so that the marksman may aim at any target on the target-board. Electric circuits so connect the gun with the several targets that if the gun be aimed correctly at any target the position of the aimed gun will be such as to close a break in a circuit belonging to'that particular target, so that when the trigger is pulled there will be closed another and iinal-break in the circuit,

.Socket-bracket 3, fixed to the counter B.

and by the excitation of an electromagnet in Serial No. 583,005. (No model.)

said circuit and adjacent to the target aimed at a bell will be rung, or some other form of visible or audible annunci-ation effected whereby it may be known that the aim has been accurate. Unless the aim is accurate the circuits belonging to the several targets will all remain broken. The gun, so called, may be only an imitation, as there will be no charge fired, or, rather, there need be none.

In addition to the apparatus as above described I prefer to employ back of the targetboard an electrical annunciator which will be sounded at each and every shot iired, whether the target be accurately aim ed at or not, and this annunciatormay be of such a character as to imitate the sound of a ball striking a target, and I also employ, by preference, a register for registering each shot fired.

I will now more ininutely describe the apparatus, premising that the principal parts of the apparatus are each designated as a whole by a letter and the minor features or details by numerals.

A represents the gun, which is mounted on a suitable stand or counter B. The gun and stand are placed in front of a target-board O and preferably about the same distance as that of the target from the marksman in an ordinary target or shooting gallery. In Fig.

1 the space between the gun and targets is` disproportionately small. The gun A is secured rigidly to an upright arm l, which is secured rigidly at its lower end to the ball 2 of a ball-and-socket joint. (Seen on a large scale in Fig. 2.) This ball is clamped in a The arm 1 plays in a slot 4L in the top of the counter. (Seen in plan in Fig. la.) It will be obvious that the gun so mounted may be elevated or depressed by the play of the arm l along the ries a tip G, (seen enlarged in Fig. 3,) which is adapted to play over the concave face of a terminal disk 7 as the gun is moved about in taking aim. The tip 6 will be of metal, and the disk 7, which will be of some insulating IOO material, will have set in it metal blocks S 8 S1 Se, dxc., one for each target or object to be aimed at on the target-board C. There may be a great variety of targets,each of which will form or be connected with some kind of visible or audible annunciator operated or controlled by an electromagnet in a circuit with a generator, and of which circuit the tip 6 and one of the blocks in the disk 7 are terminals. In Fig. 1, for example, the block S is one terminal of a circuit, a wire 9 of which leads to and through a magnet 10, behind a target 11, through the magnets of a bell 12, and thence to a common return-wire 13, which connects with one pole of a generator l-l. A wire 13:L from the other pole of the generator extends to the hammer 15 of, the gun A. From the tip 6 a wire 13b extends to a terminal 16, (see Fig. 6,) whereby when the trigger is pulled the hammer in descending touches the terminal 16 and closes the break in the circuit at this point. The wires 13, 13, and 13" and the generator l-l are common to all the targetcircuits.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 6, I will more particularly describe the mechanism connected with circuit-closing devices on the gun, premisin g, however, that this may be effected in many ways. The hammer 15 of the gun is mounted in the usual way and adapted to be controlled by the trigger 17. In the frame of the gun at one side of the hammer is pivotally mounted a rocker 1S, (seen detached in Fig. 6",) which will be made of insulating material or be otherwise insulated from the hammer. The wire 13a is connected electrically with the hammer 15, either directly, as seen in Fig. 6, or indirectly through the metal of the gun. The wire 13b is connected with the contact-piece or terminal 16, fixed in one branch of the rocker 18. lfVhen the hammer is at full-cock, as seen in full lines in Fig. 6, the arm of the rocker 'which carries the terminal 16 stands nearly erect, the terminal16 occupying a position directly in front ot' the face of the hammer and near it. On the other arm of the rocker, which extends back alongside of the hammer, is a laterallyprojecting stud 19, which takes behind the stem or shank of the hammer. Then the trigger is pressed and the freed hamm er falls, it strikes the terminal 16, thereby closing this break in the circuit; but the head of the hammer in its forward and downward movement rocks the rocker 1S, and by the time it has reached the end of its movement (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6) it will have moved the terminal 16 out of contact with its face by contact of said face with the body of the rocker itself. Thus the descent of the hammer first closes and then breaks the circuit.

In the change of position of the hammer and rocker the stud 19 in the latter still maintains its position close behind the shank of the hammer, and when the hammer is again brought to full-cock the engagement of the rear edge of its shank with said stud rocks the rocker back again to its iirst position.

I will now describe more minutely the several forms of targets illustrated.

The target 11, Fig. 1, comprises a metal sliding rod 1l, mounted loosely in the targetboard C opposite the core of the magnet 10 and made to normally protrude from the face of the board by a light spring or springs at the back. The target proper, 11, consists of a disk of some thin material with a central aperture, by which the disk may be hung on the rod 1 1. \Vhen the magnet 10 is excited, it draws back the rod 11L and lets the apertured disk 11 fall. Another target (seen both in Figs. 1 and 7) consists of a light arm 20, pivotally attached to the face of the targetboard C and supported by a protruding metal slide or pin 2l, mounted loosely in the board C. On the branch or arm 2O may be mounted a bird 22 or other object. There are or may be several targets of this form, and two of such are shown in Fig. 1; but as they are alike I deem it sufficient to describe but one. An electromagnet 23 is mounted on the board C behind the sliding pin 21, and when a current is sent through the coil of the magnet this pin is drawn back, so that the arm 2O is freed and allowed to fall. The coil of the magnet is in circuit with the wires 13 and 13:L and with a wire 24, which extends to the terminal block 8n in the disk 7.

In Figs. 7 and 7a is shown a swinging or pendulum target. In a casing 25 on the board C is an ordinary clock mechanism, which slowly swings a pendulum 26. This pendulum contains an electric bell 27, Fig. 7, the wire terminals from which have rubbing contact, as the pendulum swings, with a series of pairs of contacts 28, set at intervals in the board C in the path of the pendulum. One contact of each pair is connected with the return-wire leading to the gun and the other by a special wire to a terminal block in the disk 7. Thus whenever the gun is aimed at the center of the pendulum and the trigger is pressed while the terminals of the bell in the pendulum are in contact with the contacts of either pair oi' contacts 2S the bell in the pendulum will ring; but it will not ring except under these conditions. I have shown this adaptation of the pendulum target to illustrate a means for training the eye to estimate angles; but it will be obvious that other adaptations may be employed as well.

In Figs. 7 and 7 1* there is a target-disk 20, iixed on the board C and bearing a number of targets 30. These targets each have a central plate of metal, which is held in contact (by magnetic attraction) with the core of a magnet 3l, which projects through the targetboard C. Each magnet 31 is in closed circuit with a generator 32, and there is a breaker 33 in each circuit. This breaker is controlled by a magnet 34, which is in circuit with the gun A, and consequently when the gun is IOO IIO

aimed correctly at one of the targets and the trigger pressed the circuit will be closed through the magnet 34, which controls the breaker 33 of the particular target 30 aimed at. |The magnet 34, by its attraction of one member of the breaker 33, will break the circuit through t-he magnet 3l of the target aimed at, and that target will fall.

The' illustration in Fig. a is somewhat dia! employ two cymbals or metal disks, one fixed and the other carried by the hammer-arm.

These are designed to -produce a clashing sound when the gun is fired. The magnet of the annunciator is in a'circuit consisting of a wire 36, and the wire 13a, and a wire 37, which includes a generator 38, the coils of an electromagnet39 of a register R, and the wire 13b, the wire 37 being connected at some point with said wire 13b.

The utilization of part of the wires 13EL and 13b is not necessary, as any electrician will understand, and the battery or generator 38 ymight be omitted and the wires 36 and 37 connected up with the generator 14, but the separate generator 38 is preferred. 1

The register R may be any kind of electrically operated counting device. That shown comprises a casing or cabinet in which is the electromagnet 39, which, when excited,

attracts an armature-40, which carries a spring-hook pawl 4l, engaging the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 42, connected through a train with an index or hand 43, arranged to trav-v erse a dial. Every time the gun is fired the circuit is closed through the register-magnet 39, and the pawl advances the ratchet-wheel one tooth; also, every time the gun is red the'annunciator 35 is sounded.

Referring to Fig. 3, the metal tip 6 has'a shank, and this shank has a sliding bearing in a tube 5X, of insulating material, fixed on the free end of thetubular arm 5, and between the tip 6 and the end of the tube 5 is situated a rubber cushion 5a. This construction permits the tip 6 to-press on the disk 7 with elastic pressure, so as to insure rubbing contact. The wire 13b is connected electrically with the shank of the tip 6.

It may be desirable to raise or lower the y gun A at times in order to suit it to a particularly tall or'particularly short m arksman, and in order to effect this without disturbing the relations of the gun with the targets the construction illustrated in Figs. 8 and 8a may be employed.

It will be understood that in order to be able to raise or lower the gun the mechanism supporting the gun and the terminal disk 7 must be connected and be movable with the gun, and also that the movement must be in a curve drawn from the center of the target. The construction shown permits of this.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 8a, which show but one target merely for purposes of illustration, the disk 7, ball 2, and socket-bracket 3 are all mounted rigidlyin a frame 44, which is itself mounted to move up and down to alimited extent in curved keeper-guides 45, fixed on the counter B, plates 46 on the frame 44 fitting and'playing in said keeper-guides.

The dotted lines :r .fr indicate the radii of the curve of the keeper-guides. To raise and lower and to clamp the frame 44 when adjusted, screws 47 project through slots in the sides of the counter B, and these have clamping-nuts 48 on their outer ends, as shown in Fig. 8. The construction described is one simple mode of raising or lowering the gun; but other similar means may be employed for the purpose. There is no difference in the construction of Figs. l and 8, except in matter above described, and when the frame 44 is fixed in position the operation is precisely the same as in the device of Fig. l.

I have called the device A a gun merely because it is made to simulate a gun or piece for firing a projectile and is provided with a hammer and trigger,and it may be an ordinary target-rifle litted up for the purpose. I do not, however, limit myself to an actual gun.

The disk 7, carrying the'several contact blocks or pieces, is only a convenience. So long as the contact piece or pieces are in a field traversed by the contact on the arm 5 it will suffice.

The circuit-closer on the gun will be operated bypressure on the trigger or such equivalent therefor as the gun may have, and this closure will be controlled by the marksman. At each pressure on the trigger the shot-annunciator 35 will be actuated; but if the aim is not correct the target-annunciator will not beV actuated. It will be obvious that the marksman is merely required to close and break a circuit, as with an ordinary electric button, and this may be effected in many ways. To simulate the iirin g of a gun, I have provided a circuit-closer comprising a hammer and trigger.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. A target apparatus comprising as its essentials, a gun having a hammer and trigger and provided wit-h a circuit-closer adapted to be operated by pressure on the trigger, a support on which said gun is mounted by means of a universal joint, a contact-arm connected rigidly with the gun and adapted to traverse a iield containing a contact or contacts when the gun is shifted in aiming, a target in front of the gun, an electricallyactuated annunciator, a generator, and an IOO IIO

IZO

electric circuit including said annunciator and generator, the terminals at the circuitcloser on the gun, a terminal on the contactarm, and a contact block or piece in the said field which is so placed as to be put into electrical contact with the contact-arm when the gun is aimed at the target, substantially as set forth.

2. In a target apparatus, the combination with the stand having a slot 4, the socketbraeket 3, and the disk 7, provided with a contact piece or pieces, of the gun, provided with a circuit-closer adapted to be operated by pressure on the trigger of the gun, the ball 2, fitted in the'socket 3 and carrying the upright arm I, to which the gun is rigidly secured and the contact-arm 5, said arm l guided in the slot 4f, and said arm 5, carrying a con.- tact-tip adapted to play over the face of the disk 7 when the gun is shifted, a target in front of the gun, an electrical]y-operated annunciator, a generator, andan electric circuit including said annunciator, the generator, the terminals of the circuit-closer on the gun, the contact-tip on the arm 5, and a contaet-picce in the disk 7, said piece being so placed as to be put in contact with the tip on the arm 5 when the gun is aimed at the target, substantially as set forth.

In a target apparatus, the combination with a universal joint, one member of which is fixed and the other movable member provided with an upright arm I, and a contactarln 5, and a gun A, fixed to said arm l and having a circuit-closer adapted to be operated by pressure on the trigger, the gun, of a concave disk 7, bearing contact pieces adapted to be put into contact with the arm 5 when the gun is shifted, a target-board C, in front of the gun and having on it targets, the said targets, electrically-operated annuneiators, one for each target, a generator, and electric circuits, all including said generator, the tip on the arm 5, and the terminals of the circuit-closer on the gun, and each circuit including one of said annunciators and one of the contact-pieces in the disk 7, all arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

l. In a target apparatus, the combination with the gun, mounted on a support having a universal joint and provided with a circuitcloser adapted to be operated by pressure on the trigger of the gun, the said support, the contact-arm 5 connected rigidly with the gun, and a contact-piece arranged in the field traversed by the contact on arm 5 when the gun is shifted in aiming, of a target in front of the gun, an electrically-operated target-annunciator, a generator, an electric circuitincluding said generator, said annunciator, said contact-piece in the field traversed by the contact-arm, the contact on said arm, and the two terminals of the circuit-closer on the gun, also an electrically-operated shot-annunciator, and a circuit including a generator and the two terminals at the circuit-closer on the gun, substantially as set forth.

5. In a target'apparatus, the combination with a gun having a circuit-closer adapted to be operated by pressure on the trigger, and an electrically-operated register R, comprising an electromagnet, an armature, adapted to be attracted by said magnet, a pawl carried by said armature, a ratchet-wheel engaged by said pawl, au indicator, and means for driving the indicator from said wheel, of a generator, and an electric circuit including said generator, the electromagnet of the register, and the terminals of the circuit-closer on the gun, whereby each shot is indicated on said register, substantially as set forth.

G. In a target apparatus, the combination with a target, a pivoted arm supporting said target, a sliding pin supporting said arm, an d an electromagnet with its pole adjacent to said pin, whereby the magnet, when excited, will attract and move the pin and allow said arm to fall, of a gun mounted on a universal joint, a generator, an electric circuit including said generator and the magnet at the target and havingin it two breaks, one adapted to be closed by pressure on the trigger of the gun in firing and the other by the aiming of the gun at the target, and means for effecting the closure of said breaks, substantially as set forth.

7. In a target apparatus, Jdie combination with a swinging, pendulum target, 2G, provided with an electrical annunciator, the ci rcuit-terminals of which are adapted to be put successively into rubbing contact with two or more pairs of contacts 28, as the pendulum swings, the said pairs of contacts, and the said annunciator, of a gun mounted on a universal joint, and having a circuit-closer adapted to be operated by pressure on the trigger and a contact-tip, electric circuits, all of which include the generator, the terminals at the circuit-closer on the gun, and said contact-tip connected with the gun, and each circuit including a pair of contact-s 2S, and a contact-piece in the field traversed by the said contact-tip when the gun is shifted, substantially as set forth.

8. In a target apparatus, the combination with a target 30, having a metal plate, an electromagnct 31, a generator 32, and a normally-closed circuit including said electro magnet and generator and having a breaker 33, of a gun mounted on a universal joint, a generator, an electromagnet 34,adaptcd,when excited, to actuate the breaker 33, an electric circuit including the generator, and the magnet 3l and havingin it two breaks,one adapted to be closed by pressure-on the trigger of the gun in firing and the other by the aiming of the gun at the target, and means for effecting the closure of said breaks, substantially as set forth.

9. In a target apparatus, the combination with the gun A, provided with a hammer and trigger, and the rocker 1S, pivotally mounted in the gun and provided with a metallic contact 1G, and the stud 19, said contact being IOO IIO

placed in the path of the hammer-head and said stud adapted to take behind the shank of the hammer for restoring the rocker When the gun i's cocked, of an electrically-operated annunciator, a generator, and an electric circuit including said annunciator and generator, the contact 16, and the hammer of the gun, substantially as set forth.

IO. In a target apparatus, the combination, with a target, and a gun mounted on a universal joint, of the said joint, the frame in which said joint is fixed mounted in curved, upright guides, whereby the gun may be raised and lowered, andthe said guides, having a curve With aradius equal to the distance of the guides from the target and said curve having the target as a center, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.v

1l. In a target apparatus, the combination, With a target, and an electrically-operated target-annunciator, of a gun mounted on a universal joint, a generator, and an electric circuit including said generator and annunciator and having in it two breaks, one break adapted to be closed by pressure on the trigger of the gun in firing and the other by the aiming of the gun at the target, and means substantially as described for effecting the closure of said breaks.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN L. MCOULLOUGH.

Witnesses:

HENRY CoNNETT, PETER A. Ross. 

